About k4s
What is k4s?
k4s is an open-source terminal UI (TUI) for Kubernetes and k3s, written in Go. It surfaces the
kubectl equivalent of every shortcut in the footer so users can learn the CLI while they work.What does k4s mean?
k4s is a play on the existing Kubernetes TUIs (
k9s, k3s). The "4" has no formal meaning beyond rhyming — the project leans into "kubectl by osmosis" as its real identifier.Is k4s free and open source?
Yes. MIT-licensed. Full source at github.com/LywwKkA-aD/k4s. Contributions welcome.
k4s vs k9s
Is k4s the same as k9s?
No. k9s is a mature TUI for Kubernetes that focuses on speed and breadth of features. k4s is a smaller, opinionated tool built around the idea of teaching
kubectl through use. They can coexist.What's the difference between k4s and k9s?
The biggest difference is the kubectl footer hints — k4s prints the underlying
kubectl command for every keystroke. k9s does not. k4s is also younger, has a narrower feature set, and is MIT licensed. See the full comparison.Is k4s a fork of k9s?
No. k4s is written from scratch on Bubble Tea. It shares no code with k9s.
Should I switch from k9s to k4s?
Not unless you specifically want the
kubectl-teaching angle. k9s is more mature. k4s is for people learning Kubernetes or training new joiners.Installation
How do I install k4s on macOS?
go install github.com/LywwKkA-aD/k4s/cmd/k4s@latest — you'll need Go 1.26+. A Homebrew tap is on the roadmap.How do I install k4s on Linux?
Same
go install command. Linux .deb and .rpm packages are on the roadmap.Does k4s work on Windows?
Untested. Bubble Tea supports Windows terminals, but k4s has only been verified on macOS and Linux.
Does k4s require kubectl on PATH?
Only for
exec and the "coming soon" Homebrew install. Pure TUI usage (lists, describe, logs, top) goes through client-go directly and does not need kubectl installed.Compatibility
Can I use k4s with k3s?
Yes. k4s works against any cluster reachable via kubeconfig — k3s, k8s, EKS, GKE, AKS, Kind, Minikube, Rancher Desktop, OrbStack, anything that speaks the Kubernetes API.
Does k4s support multiple kubeconfig contexts?
Yes. Press
:ctx to switch between contexts. k4s drops stale navigation history when you switch — list views are rebuilt against the new cluster.Which Kubernetes versions does k4s support?
k4s uses
client-go v0.36, which supports Kubernetes API versions 1.27 through 1.30. Newer and older versions usually work but are not explicitly tested.Design
What is "kubectl by osmosis"?
It's the design idea behind k4s. Every TUI action shows you the
kubectl command it would have run in the footer. Use the TUI for speed; absorb the CLI as a side-effect. More on the why page.Why is the binary 38 MB?
Most of it is
client-go and its transitive dependencies. Static Go binaries trade size for zero runtime requirements.Question not answered?
Open an issue on GitHub or start a discussion. We answer everything.
go install github.com/LywwKkA-aD/k4s/cmd/k4s@latest